Various types of protective packaging systems have been used for containing a product after its processing or manufacture but prior to the sending of the product to the ultimate consumer. An example in wide use is the corrugated box. It is, however, impractical for a manufacturer of a product to have a large inventory of a wide range of sizes of corrugated boxes where the products being manufactured are of significantly different dimensions.
Where boxes are not built to fit the particular product, however, but are "make do", damage to the product is more likely to occur. Extra packaging materials needed to prevent damage increases the costs associated with the product. Where the product is quite fragile and/or heavy, and varies widely in size, as is true, for example, with lithographic plates, the costs associated with extra packaging materials and damage during transit, due to a poor fit between plate and box, are high. Additionally, types of boxes currently in use lack sufficient structural integrity to withstand high density stacking and warehousing conditions, as well as shipping mishandling wherein shock and compression are brought to bear upon them.
What is needed is packaging that closely fits the product enclosed and which is made as sturdy as possible and with as much reinforcement as necessary for each particular job. If a process to make the boxes as needed were cost effective, the need for a large storage space for boxes of varying sizes and degrees of reinforcement would be eliminated. Additionally, such boxes could be used to securely store the product once it reaches its final destination.
It is to these problems in the prior art that the invention of the present document is directed. It is an apparatus and cartoning method which can be applied to a product of virtually any size or weight. Additionally, it can be practiced using an assembly line. Because of its unique flexibility, the apparatus and method of the invention can be employed to accommodate irregularly shaped and variably weighted products, and packaged them for safe shipping.